Sales Orders Lifecycle

Sales Orders are the core transactional record when a customer purchases goods from you. They track what was bought, how much was paid, and the current fulfillment status.

Order Statuses

A Sales Order moves through a strict state machine:

  1. DRAFT: The order is currently being built (often used for quotes). Inventory is not reserved.
  2. BACKORDER: The order is confirmed, but there is insufficient stock to fulfill it immediately. Inventory is not reserved on order creation. Newly received stock will be allocated on a FIFO basis as it arrives.
  3. PENDING: The order is confirmed and fully allocated. Inventory is now reserved ("Allocated") so it cannot be sold to anyone else.
  4. PROCESSING: The order has been released to the warehouse floor and picking has begun.
  5. SHIPPED: All items have been packed, courier labels generated, and the box has left the building.
  6. DELIVERED: The courier has confirmed delivery.

Placeholder: Screenshot of the Sales Order detail view showing the status timeline

Creating a Manual Order

If a customer calls in, your sales team can create a manual order:

  1. Navigate to Sales > Orders and click + New Order.
  2. Select the Customer (this will apply their specific Pricing Tiers automatically).
  3. Search and add SKUs to the cart.
  4. Select the requested Delivery Method (e.g., DPD Next Day).
  5. Click Confirm Order.

Once confirmed, the system immediately checks stock availability. If stock is available, it allocates it and moves the order to PENDING. If stock is missing, you can create it as a Backorder.

Pre-allocation & Backorders

When creating a Sales Order, if you select the Pre-allocate / Backorder Order option:

  • The system bypasses immediate stock validation checks.
  • The order is created in the BACKORDER status.
  • As new stock arrives (either through a Purchase Order receipt or cycle count adjustments), the system automatically allocates stock to outstanding backorders on a FIFO (First-In, First-Out) basis by order creation date.
  • Once all items in the backorder are fully allocated, the order automatically transitions to PENDING status and is released to the fulfillment dashboard.
  • Users can also click "Allocate Stock" on the orders page or order details drawer to try allocating available stock manually.